


A little Common Sense and just a little Kindness

by AmazingGracesPouringDown



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:28:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmazingGracesPouringDown/pseuds/AmazingGracesPouringDown
Summary: Dutch is not the Dutch arthur remembered.He will change that. And first. He's gotta get the gang safe. He knows just the little widow up north who can help.The gang can stay there while he confronts Dutch. An if anything happens to Arthur? Well Dutch wont find them again. And if he can somehow get Dutch to come back? Micah will be his biggest obstacle.





	A little Common Sense and just a little Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> I bounced the idea of this off of @Pukao over discord. (Visit their Tumblr!! The Rdr art is exceptional) This is my 'Wilford's Rest au'  
> Or the Charlotte au. This isnt a Charlotte/Arthur piece. But it could happen in another au lol.
> 
> Anyway. This was my idea of how the game could have gone. I hope you enjoy chapter 1 and  
> SPOILERS FOR NEAR END GAME STUFF.

 

_Bam!_

" _Heh. At the end of labor is to gain leisure. Is that not what Aristotle said?"_

_"Well I don't know much about Aristotle, but i do know a thing or two about shooting a gun."_

-

 _"Would you like to come in for a meal?"_  
_-_

  
_"Please, just call me Charlotte."_

_"Arthur Morgan."_

 -

Arthur blinked awake. Tiny streams of hazy sunlight bared down on arthurs eyes, causing dulled blue irises to twinkle once again. He sat up and waited for his mind to clear. The soft fabric of his blankets called to him, begged him to stay in bed and sleep off the pain.

He let out a sigh.

Of course he had slept way later than intended, the high light of noon greeting the ill man rather than early morning grey.  
Arthur internally cursed his new weakness, resenting how lazy it made him. He hardly has done anything around the camp in at least two days, and Dutch has been busy being chummy with Micah so Arthur has been in an execptionally foul mood.

He hid it well though, behind genuine smiles at his family, one he had new apreciation for due to his inevitable end. He misses dearly those he lost, but takes comfort in knowing he can join them too. Eventually.

So who _cares_ if the man whom he idolized his entire life is changing before him? Dutch sure doesnt.

Despite that, he vowed to himself that he would genuinely spend time with the gang. This was absolute the moment the doctor uttered ~~_'teburcluosis'._~~ So he gladly played with Jack and Abigail, happily went hunting with John and sat in comfortable silence, smiled when he whittled with Charles, cooked one hell of a stew with Pearson.

He let Mrs. Grimshaw and the Ladies  
teach him how to sew and do laundry. He even laughed good and hard when he lost all the buttons to a shirt and Mrs. Grimshaw hit him with a wet bedroll.

Reverend Swanson was ecstatic to finally be asked to join Arthur on a scam. Even moreso when it went exceptionally well.  
Arthur was glad he cleaned himself up. Really he was. That was a good man there. Unlike himself.

Hell, he, Bill, Sadie and Uncle played such an exciting game of poker, Arthur and Bill ended up stripped to their long-johns. They argued that it wasnt fair that Sadie played that *way* too well.

Uncle even seemed to be cured of his lumbago for the night.

He even got drunk with Karen, sang the night away with Javier despite the spattering of coughs between verses. The group, and even _Dutch_ relaxing like there was no worries in the world. Like old times, watching John hold Abigail's hand and bounce Jack on his knee. Uncle and Bill knocking barely finished beers together, Dutch with his hat off and rings unpolished looking like the man he used to.

The ladies providing sweet backing sounds to Arthur and Javiers tenor and bass, Charles dancing with Mrs. Grimshaw and Sadie of all people. He even imagined all those they lost dancing in the lit flames on the fire they surrounded. He swore he saw Hosea smiling while Jenny and Lenny swung around. Mac, and Davey with a nervously smiling Kieran between them. Surprisingly, it made him feel like something was cut lose from the bags of guilt hanging off his shoulders, the weight up and leaving his thinned frame.

It was nights like those that made Arthur get up in the morning. Made him think that life wasnt too bad. He didnt want to lose that.

He was determined not to.

Even if he had to fight Dutch to make him see that _that,_ was all the more important than making a name of themselves. More important that revenge.

He would bring him back, cause he sure as hell wasnt the only one missing their once imovable leader.

John handing him a cup of coffee of all things roused him from his thoughts. The beatened tin, dulled from so much use, was like a beacon to Arthur's sleepy soul. He gingerly grabbed the steaming cup. Nodding at Marston with a barely visible smile of thanks.

"Morning Arthur. The reverend was looking to talk to ya. Asked me to swbd you when you woke up."

Arthur nodded, scratching behind his ear as he atood from his bed roll and walked with John to the nearest table. He was surprised to find a bowl wating f r him, some of Pearson's stew. Still warm.

He sat and began to eat, not notching how hungry he was until he smelled the food. The saucy meal warming his belly nicely, carrots and potatoes mixing with a meat he recognised as rabbit.

Arthur was taken aback by a sudden sudden thought.

_"I still have some of the Rabbit we caught. Salted it an everything. Would you like some?"_

Charlotte.

A strong woman he'd dare to even call a friend. Her little cabin flashed behind his briefly closed eyelids. The area that no one bothered to go to. Not even lawmen.

Arthur had an idea. John was the best to tell. He set his cup down and adressed the man across from him. If anyone would understand, it would be John Marston himself. The only man alive other than Arthur who knew  _Dutch._ The Dutch before Blackwater. The one he, H- Hosea and John met all those years ago. 

  
"Marston. What do you say you take th' gang up to a place called Willard's rest? Theres a woman there by the name of Charlotte. Y'can take your family and run there. Ya wont be bothered."

John Marston turned to Arthur with the dumbest look on his face since they watched Dutch drunkenly mistake a tree for Molly and compliment and kiss it.

_"What?"_

"You heard me."

"But. Why? What about Dutch?"

"Oh come on, Marston. We both know Dutch aint himself. I gotta do something, but it cant happen when the whole camp's in danger."

Arthur kept his voice low and steady, inflection sometimes hurt his throat and caused the coughing to start.

John rubbed a hand over his scars.  
"Yeah.. yea. You're right Arthur.... But how do we do it without Dutch finding out? And how do we get them to move?"

Arthur chewed his cheek for a moment. John, for once, had a point. How?

Ah.

"He an Micah R'goin on a trip in two days. Says they are gonna bring some money back in before our 'big move'. We can do it then."

"And the gang? How do we get them to leave?"

Arthur smirked, a rare sight to see the man do. John wasn't sure to be startled or privileged. Not many people see Arthur smug. He was so serious all the time.

"Tell'em Dutch's orders. I'll stay behind. I've _got_ to sort Dutch out, tell 'im we need him amd his head clear. Ill just say im waiting to help him get t' where we're goin. And I'll give ya a note to Charlotte. So she lets ya stay."

John placed his empty cup on the table, leaning down to avoid being heard.

"You sure bout this?"

Arthur stared right back, a firey look in his eyes. One John hasn't seen since they were young. Well. Younger.

"Never been more sure in my life. Make sure you wait until Dutch leaves tomorrow mornin before ya tell anyone."

"Yeah yeah. I aint stupid." John dismissed.

Arthur coughed with a smile.

"Sure, John. Sure yer not."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry its short. Still a work in progess. Any and all criticsicm is welcome!


End file.
